Kendra Wilkinson still about family after fame

Few celebrities have rocketed to stardom faster than Playboy model and actress Kendra Wilkinson. The San Diego tomboy with the oversized laugh was barely out of high school when she caught the eye of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner while moonlighting as a body-paint model at his 78th birthday bash. Soon she bid adieu to her job as a dental assistant and accepted Hef’s offer to move into the Playboy mansion. In 2005, she became a star on the hit reality TV show “The Girls Next Door,” which revolved around the lives of Hef and his three live-in girlfriends/models.Kendra’s engaging personality soon outgrew the mansion. She went on to appear in such films as “Scream 4” and “The House Bunny,” and even made it to week seven on “Dancing with the Stars.” She also stars in her own self-titled reality TV show, which debuted in 2009. That same year, she married NFL wide receiver Hank Baskett and gave birth to their son, Hank Jr. Somehow, she found the time to chronicle it all in two best-selling memoirs, “Sliding into Home” and the newly released tell-all, “Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails and Getting My Sexy Back.”

Kendra Wilkinson

Photo by PR Photos

Most celebrities start out working day jobs just to get by until their big break comes. You started out as a dental assistant. What was that like for you?

Being a dental assistant at the time was so much money to me; it was a step up from the pizza place I worked. I felt like I deserved the money I had because I was working hard for it. It made me feel like I was doing something right.

Few celebrities have rocketed to stardom faster than Playboy model and actress Kendra Wilkinson. The San Diego tomboy with the oversized laugh was barely out of high school when she caught the eye of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner while moonlighting as a body-paint model at his 78th birthday bash. Soon she bid adieu to her job as a dental assistant and accepted Hef’s offer to move into the Playboy mansion. In 2005, she became a star on the hit reality TV show “The Girls Next Door,” which revolved around the lives of Hef and his three live-in girlfriends/models.Kendra’s engaging personality soon outgrew the mansion. She went on to appear in such films as “Scream 4” and “The House Bunny,” and even made it to week seven on “Dancing with the Stars.” She also stars in her own self-titled reality TV show, which debuted in 2009. That same year, she married NFL wide receiver Hank Baskett and gave birth to their son, Hank Jr. Somehow, she found the time to chronicle it all in two best-selling memoirs, “Sliding into Home” and the newly released tell-all, ” Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails and Getting My Sexy Back.”

Kendra Wilkinson

Photo by PR Photos

If you’re going to splurge, what do you splurge on?

The one thing I could say that I’ve splurged on in the last few years has been houses! I saved all my money and in the past three years, I’ve bought three houses. I have this thing where I want to own houses.

Few celebrities have rocketed to stardom faster than Playboy model and actress Kendra Wilkinson. The San Diego tomboy with the oversized laugh was barely out of high school when she caught the eye of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner while moonlighting as a body-paint model at his 78th birthday bash. Soon she bid adieu to her job as a dental assistant and accepted Hef’s offer to move into the Playboy mansion. In 2005, she became a star on the hit reality TV show “The Girls Next Door,” which revolved around the lives of Hef and his three live-in girlfriends/models.Kendra’s engaging personality soon outgrew the mansion. She went on to appear in such films as “Scream 4” and “The House Bunny,” and even made it to week seven on “Dancing with the Stars.” She also stars in her own self-titled reality TV show, which debuted in 2009. That same year, she married NFL wide receiver Hank Baskett and gave birth to their son, Hank Jr. Somehow, she found the time to chronicle it all in two best-selling memoirs, “Sliding into Home” and the newly released tell-all, ” Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails and Getting My Sexy Back.”

Kendra Wilkinson

Photo by PR Photos

Now that you’re a wife and mother, how have your spending habits changed?

Since my son was born, I’m a lot more willing to back off on spending for myself and give him whatever he wants. We cut out a lot of stuff that we liked to do for ourselves so we could give it to baby Hank. We work as a family so the money is our family money, so we’re all on the same page.

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